Bioethics, the Christian Citizen and the Pluralist Game

Critics of Christian involvement in bioethical debates typically argue that the public square ought to embrace Secular Liberalism, a perspective that its proponents maintain is the most just arrangement in a pluralist society. But Secular Liberalism places restraints on Christian citizens that are not placed on similarly situated citizens who hold more liberal views on bioethical questions. In this lecture Professor Beckwith critiques three arguments for Secular Liberalism, concluding that it unjustly privileges perspectives hostile to a Christian view of human nature and the good life.
The Text of the Lecture

BIO: Dr. Francis J. Beckwith is Associate Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies at Baylor University. He holds five earned degrees including a Ph.D. in philosophy from Fordham University and a Master of Juridical Studies degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Among his books are Defending Life: A Moral and Law Case Against Abortion Choice; Law, Darwinism & Public Education; Do the Right Thing; and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. He as a 2002-2003 Research Fellow in Constitutional Studies & Political Thought in the James Madison Program in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. His articles and reviews have appeared in academic journals in a diversity of disciplines including law, philosophy, theology, religion, ethics, and public policy. He and his wife Frankie currently reside in Woodway, TX. You can learn more about Dr. Beckwith at www.francisbeckwith.com.